Charlie Wilson

Uncle Charlie’s homecoming.

Singer/songwriter Charlie Wilson has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Tulsa, Okla. Before making it big as a solo artist, he was the co-founder of the iconic funk trio the Gap band, who found chart success with songs like “I’m in Love” and “Shake.” After reaching the peak of success in the ‘80s, Wilson departed the group and ventured into a solo career. He released his first studio album Bridging the Gap, which scored him his first No. 1 Billboard Urban Adult Contemporary single, “Without You” in 2000. In 2004, Wilson signed with Jive Records, and in 2005, his gold-certified Jive debut Charlie Last Name Wilson, yielded a top 15 R&B single. Wilson continued an uphill climb in 2009, releasing Uncle Charlie and securing two Grammy nominations for Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the hit single “There Goes My Baby.” The following year, Wilson’s “You Are” spent 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1 and scored Grammy nods for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance. In 2013, Uncle Charlie was honored with a lifetime achievement tribute at the BET Awards. The star-studded performance featured Snoop Dogg, Pharrell Williams, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, India Arie and Jamie Foxx, and is the award show’s top-rated moments. Wilson returns to Oklahoma for a special performance at the Winstar World Casino. Tickets are $50-$85. For more information, visit www.winstarworldcasino.com.